If you pick up any book by these authors, you will be well rewarded. There may be some off-by-one errors in my ratings for books I read many years ago, but this gives you a good idea of the books I like.

Isaac Asimov

Asimov wrote more books than just about anybody, in a wide variety of fields. In particular he was a master at both science fiction and science.

Masterpieces

The Foundation series

Foundation

Foundation and Empire

Second Foundation

Foundation’s Edge

Foundation and Earth

Prelude to Foundation

Forward the Foundation

The End of Eternity

The Gods Themselves

I, Robot (collection)

Nightfall and Other Stories (collection)

Great books

The Caves of Steel

Gold (collection)

Orson Scott Card

Card is a master of both science fiction and fantasy.

Masterpieces

The Ender Saga

Ender’s Game

Speaker for the Dead

The Shadow Saga

Ender’s Shadow

The Tales of Alvin Maker

Seventh Son

Red Prophet

Pastwatch

Maps in a Mirror (collection)

Keeper of Dreams (collection)

Great books

The Ender Saga

Xenocide

Children of the Mind

First Meetings (collection)

Ender in Exile

The Shadow Saga

Shadow of the Hegemon

Shadow Puppets

Shadow of the Giant

Shadows in Flight

The Tales of Alvin Maker

Prentice Alvin

Alvin Journeyman

Heartfire

The Crystal City

Homebody

Enchantment

Magic Street

Arthur C. Clarke

Clarke was a master at both science fiction and science. He co-wrote the screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey with Stanley Kubrick.

Masterpieces

The Nine Billions Names of God (collection)

Expedition to Earth (collection)

Childhood’s End

The City and the Stars

Great books

2001: A Space Odyssey

The Fountains of Paradise

Rendezvous with Rama

The Songs of Distant Earth

1984 Spring: A Choice of Futures (nonfiction)

Julie E. Czerneda

I’ve only read Czerneda’s science fiction books so far, but lately she’s branched out into fantasy.

Masterpiece

Species Imperative

Survival

Great books

Trade Pact trilogy

A Thousand Words for Stranger

Ties of Power

To Trade the Stars

Web Shifters

Beholder’s Eye

Changing Vision

Hidden in Sight

In the Company of Others

Species Imperative

Migration

Regeneration

Guy Gavriel Kay

Every one of Kay’s fantasy books is brilliant. His books are typically more like historical fiction, with very little magic.

Masterpieces

Tigana

A Song for Arbonne

The Sarantine Mosaic

Sailing to Sarantium

Lord of Emperors

Great books

The Fionovar Tapestry

The Summer Tree

The Wandering Fire

The Darkest Road

The Lions of Al-Rassan

Ursula K. Le Guin

Le Guin is a master at both fantasy and science fiction. It seems she’s retired from writing novels, but she’s left an amazing legacy.

Masterpieces

Earthsea

A Wizard of Earthsea

The Tombs of Atuan

The Farthest Shore

Tehanu

Tales from Earthsea

The Other Wind

The Left Hand of Darkness

The Dispossessed

The Telling

The Birthday of the World (collection)

Great books

Rocannon’s World

Planet of Exile

City of Illusions

The Lathe of Heaven

The Language of the Night (nonfiction)

Anne Rice

Rice writes books that are infused with history and details that will almost make you believe vampires and/or witches are real.

Neal Stephenson

Stephenson’s science fiction novels will help prepare you for the future.

Masterpieces

Snow Crash

The Diamond Age

Cryptonomicon

Great books

The Big U

In the Beginning… was the Command Line (nonfiction)

Some Remarks (mostly nonfiction)

Robert Charles Wilson

Wilson is a master at stories that feature a world-changing event and fascinating characters who react to that event.

Masterpieces

The Harvest

Darwinia

The Chronoliths

Blind Lake

The Spin series

Spin

The Perseids and Other Stories (collection)

Great books

Mysterium

The Spin series

Axis

Vortex

Julian Comstock

Good book

Bios

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